Here's a little musical thought experiment:
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Download this MP3 (Don't worry, its a legal download from Amazon -- the RIAA won't arrest you) -- give it a good listening to.

Pretty damned good, right? I find the artist amazing.

Now:  Try to imagine what this guy looks like -- visualize it -- the dreads, the beard, the multicolor Rasta hat, the man himself.

Download for Free:

 

 
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Listen to the music again -- impressive Reggae artist, IMHO.

Now have a look at him: His name is Matisyahu:

Check out his video of the song "King Without A Crown" -- its from the CD: Live at Stubb's: Austin, TX 2/19/05 [LIVE] -- you see what makes his artists so unusual . . .

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Click for Video

Really makes you think about your own prejudices and preconceptions . . .

The music stands on its own -- but once you see the guys background, there's nothing esle to say but -- WTF?!?

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Keep reading for more details about his background . . .

Amazon review:

"Although reggae's religious overtones are often overshadowed by the music's ties to ganja and the hippie movement, there are some socially active or religious leaning artists out there. One of the newest comes in the unlikely figure of a young Hasidic Jew named Matisyahu. Singing with a slight ghetto patois, in Yiddish, and even displaying considerable beat-box skills, the New Yorker is at his best when he works himself into fits of righteous indignation and Old Testament fervor (the limits of his vocal range are laid bare when he croons on ballads).

The lean three-piece band on this live recording, his second album, is aerodynamic and flexible, able to do the slow reggae groove or rock out with ferocity. After 12 tracks of stripped-down reggae, however, the music tends to blend into one long groove.

Nonetheless, there is an undeniable urgency in this live recording that comes through loud and clear, making it a live document of note by one of reggae's most interesting new figures.  -Tad Hendrickson

For obvious reasons, his website is called Hasidic Reggae

And this Song is available for free on Amazon

Posted at 06:05 AM in Music | Permalink

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